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Welcome
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This Travel Warning was issued on May 07, 2008, to update safety and security information for travelers to Nepal. The Department of State remains concerned about the security situation in Nepal and urges American citizens to obtain updated security information before they travel and to be prepared to change their plans on short notice. This supersedes the Travel Warning for Nepal issued on February 25, 2008. Nepal continues to experience sporadic incidents of terrorism and politically-motivated violence in major urban areas. In the run-up to Constituent Assembly elections on April 10, bombings occurred in various locations around the country, including four bombings in the capital, Kathmandu, on April 4, in which no one was injured. In September 2007, near-simultaneous blasts at three locations in Kathmandu killed three persons and injured scores of commuters and bystanders, many of them seriously. Nepalese police believe that the Improvised Explosive Devices were planted intentionally where people congregate, and in a moving microbus carrying passengers. American citizens are reminded to remain on high alert, avoid public transportation (including travel by microbus), and be cautious of unattended baggage in public places, including airports and bus depots.
In November 2006, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed by the Government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), a U.S. designated terrorist organization. Following that agreement, the former insurgents joined the interim parliament and, subsequently, the interim government. However, since the signing of the CPA, the Maoists have continued to engage in violence, extortion, and abductions. The Young Communist League, a Maoist subgroup, continues to extort and abuse people, including threatening Kathmandu-based personnel of a U.S. Non-Governmental Organization. Various armed groups emerged in 2007, primarily in the Terai region along the southern border with India, and insurgent violence has affected trade and travel in that area. Ethnic tensions in the Terai region have spawned violent clashes with police, strikes, demonstrations, and closures of the border with India. The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends against non-essential travel to this region. Violent clashes between Maoists and indigenous groups have taken place in recent months in the Terai region, along the southern border with India, in one case resulting in 27 deaths. Ethnic tensions in the Terai region have spawned violent clashes with police, strikes, demonstrations and closures of the border with India. The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends against non-essential travel to this region. Clashes between Maoists and groups who oppose them also recently have extended into Kathmandu. In November 2006 numerous resident American citizens reported to the U.S. Embassy first-hand accounts of Maoist cadres demanding food and lodging, often accompanied by threats of physical violence. In some instances, Nepalese staff of Americans who resisted such demands were beaten. Since the cease-fire in May 2006, hotels and businesses frequented by American citizens have been targets of extortion demands, forced closures, and have become the focus of demonstrations. While widespread protests have abated, the potential for demonstrations and disruptions remains high. During demonstrations, protestors have used violence, including burning vehicles, throwing rocks and burning tires to block traffic. Given the nature, intensity and unpredictability of disturbances, American citizens are urged to exercise special caution during times when demonstrations are announced, avoid areas where demonstrations are occurring or crowds are forming, avoid road travel, and maintain a low profile. Curfews can be announced with little or no advance notice, and American citizens are urged to consult media sources and the Embassy's website (http://nepal.usembassy.gov) for current security information.
Crime in the Kathmandu Valley, including violent crime and harassment of women, has increased since April 2006. Travel via road in areas outside of the Kathmandu valley is still dangerous and should be avoided. Police have reported a number of robberies by armed gangs; in some cases victims were attacked and injured. The U.S. Embassy reports an increase in crime in some popular tourist areas. Visitors to Nepal should practice good personal security when moving about, especially at night, and avoid walking alone after dark and carrying large sums of cash or wearing expensive jewelry. In several reported incidents tourists have had their belongings stolen from their rooms while they were asleep. In late 2005, two European women were murdered in Nargarjun Forest, a popular tourist destination in the Kathmandu Valley. The murders occurred within weeks of each other and both involved women hiking alone. In March 2006, Maoists detained several Polish trekkers after the trekkers refused to pay extortion. Solo trekkers have been robbed by small groups of young men, even on some popular trails. Crime, including violent crime, has further increased in 2007, and police are unwilling or unable to arrest criminals who claim Maoist affiliation. U.S. official personnel generally do not travel by road outside the Kathmandu Valley. All official travel outside the Kathmandu valley, including by air, requires specific clearance by the U.S. Embassy’s Regional Security Officer. As a result, emergency assistance to U.S. citizens may be limited. Active duty U.S. military and Department of Defense contractors must obtain a country clearance for official and unofficial travel to Nepal.
Although the Government of Nepal no longer considers the Maoists to be terrorists, the U.S. government’s designation of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” organization under Executive Order 13224 and its inclusion on the "Terrorist Exclusion List" pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act remain in effect. These two designations make Maoists excludable from entry into the United States and bar U.S. citizens from transactions such as contribution of funds, goods, or services to, or for the benefit of, the Maoists. Maoist splinter groups in the Terai continue to kidnap and murder Nepalese
citizens. Additionally, there has been political agitation and civil unrest,
including violent clashes between political groups and the Maoists as well
as inter-communal violence and opportunistic criminality. Recently,
protestors attacked vehicles belonging to the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights and the National Human Rights Commission. The
random, unpredictable nature of attacks and demonstrations creates a risk to
Americans of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Recently, violent
protesters burned vehicles, threw rocks and burned tires to block traffic
during street demonstrations.
Given the nature, intensity and unpredictability of disturbances, U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Nepal should factor the potential for violence into their plans, exercise special caution during times when demonstrations are announced, avoid areas where demonstrations are occurring or crowds are forming, avoid road travel during these periods and maintain a low profile. U.S. citizens are urged to register with the Consular Section of the Embassy by accessing the Department of State's travel registration site at https://travelregistration.state.gov or by personal appearance at the Consular Section. The Consular Section is located at the Yak and Yeti Hotel complex on Durbarmarg Street. The section can be reached directly at (977) (1) 444-5577 or through the Embassy switchboard. The Consular Section can provide updated information on travel and security.
For further information about security conditions in Nepal, American citizens are encouraged to refer to the Consular Information Sheet for Nepal and the current Travel Warning for Nepal issued on December 08, 2006(http://travel.state.gov). American citizens are also encouraged to refer to the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement for additional travel safety and security information. These documents are available on the homepage of the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs at http://travel.state.gov and the American Embassy in Nepal's home page at http://nepal.usembassy.gov. The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs maintains an information line at 1-888-407-4747 toll free or (202) 501-4444 Monday through Friday (excluding U.S. Government holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Specific information may also be obtained by calling the Embassy at 977-1-444-5577 during working hours and at 977-1-441-1179 during evenings and weekends and asking for the Embassy Duty Officer.
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